Hammerfist

About

Hammerfist is a 1990 side-scrolling action game where you play as one of two rogue holographic assassins hunting down the corporation that created them. The game combines beat 'em up brawling with basic platforming, letting you switch between Hammerfist and his partner Metalisis to tackle waves of enemies and environmental obstacles. Combat relies on straightforward melee attacks and limited special moves, with a focus on momentum as you progress through Centro-Holographix's facilities. The single-player mode supports cooperative play with a second human partner, though the AI for the second character is rudimentary. The story unfolds through minimal text screens between levels, setting up a sci-fi revenge plot where the stakes are mostly ignored once the fighting starts. What makes Hammerfist notable is its co-op option, a rarity for the time on budget platforms like the C64 and Spectrum. While the graphics and sound are basic by modern standards, the game’s aggressive energy and dual-character mechanic earned it a cult following among retro fans. Community forums cite its chaotic action and the novelty of local co-op as key draws, though critics note the repetitive enemy designs and short campaign. With roots in the early '90s beat 'em up boom, it’s a brisk, if unsophisticated, slice of arcade-style nostalgia.

Storyline

The year is 2215 A.D holograms are indstingiushable from humans. People are selected for their special skills and then transformed into holograms to commit murder, political crimes, or whatever their master `Centro-Holographix' orders them to do. In between missions, the holograms are stored in personality computers, or mind prisons. However, the computer storing two of the most powerful holograms ever created, HAMMERFIST and METALISIS, has malfunctioned, sending the two deadly assassins on one final mission - to destroy Centro-Holographix.